First Kiss: Calm After Chaos
by TheYellowLantern
Summary: After the Lothal Jedi Temple crumbled, Ezra and Sabine find a moment of peace. A single one-shot done in collaboration with other fanficers here. Check the note inside for more details. Picture belongs to Tumblr's Arrival-Layne.


**Author's Note- The following story was written in collaboration with a number of excellent writers here on FFnet. The premise was simple enough; write a story where Sabine and Ezra have at some point both confessed their feelings for each other, but for whatever reason have not yet kissed, and tell the story of their first kiss. The time frame, period, setting, tone, length, and reason they haven't kissed was totally up to the writer. The series may or may not give us that sweet sweet Ezrabine/Sabezra romance we all crave, but damn it, we're gonna make it happen here.**

 **This is my version. If you like what you read, please check out the rest of these awesome one shots in the series:**

 **First Kiss: Open Horizon - RagnarDanneskjold**

 **First Kiss: Something Just Like This – SweetSinger2010**

 **First Kiss: Last Chance – lothcat1138**

 **First Kiss: Plans- ddaulton94**

 **So without further ado,**

 **First Kiss: Calm After Chaos.**

* * *

 ** _Season 4, after 'A World Between Worlds'._**

This was the calm, after the chaos.

Sabine's hair blew in the steady wind. Eyes closed, she felt the cool air on her face. In her ears, the groaning of the Mining Guild vehicle. When she opened her eyes, she saw the vast barren landscapes. Just dirt and ash, with a grey sky above. Not like the green and blue she once knew this place for.

It was so peaceful. Yet so sad.

 _"I'm witnessing the death of Lothal."_ She thought.

The resemblance to Mandalore was unsettling. It wasn't quite like that yet...it could still support life, but it was in that process. Constant burning and digging was destroying it. Sabine never got to see her own planet be slowly rendered lifeless...but Ezra was witnessing it at this very moment, like a gruelling process before his eyes.

 _"That's why I'm here."_ She thought. _"To stop it."_

For him.

This day was supposed to be a victory for her. For The Rebels. Yet it felt like anything but.

Sabine looked over her shoulders. She saw standing at the Mining Guild driller controls, Chopper and Hera. The atmosphere was as silent as a crypt, no one had said a word. Everyone was just...recovering.

 _"Talking wolves, The Emperor, moving paintings, portals...Kanan..."_

She couldn't have ever imagined this is how things would turn out.

When she had stood outside long enough, she carefully got back inside the cockpit...standing next to Hera. Sabine looked silently at her captain, but most importantly her friend...she had seen Hera through some tough times, but nothing had impacted her like losing Kanan did.

Kanan was a great friend to Sabine, but so much more to Hera.

"Are you...holding up, Hera?" Sabine asked gently.

It was a silly question, probably. Of course, everyone was rather...devastated, even now. It's almost like it hadn't quite sunk in yet. Everything was happening so quickly, one thing after another.

"As well as I can, Sabine." Hera replied just as gently, her eyes not making contact with her. "But I'm not the one who went into a portal."

Hera let out the weakest chuckle and smile. But it quickly faded. It was clear that Hera couldn't get Kanan out of her head. How could Sabine blame her? But his memory didn't have to hurt her...it had to strengthen her.

"No matter how much The Empire try to tear us down..." Sabine began. "We'll always be strong together...and for as long as we are, we can beat them. This is what he would've wanted, Hera."

The Mandalorian placed her hand on Hera's shoulder, and smiled warmly at her. The Twi'lek nodded, and returned the smile. When Sabine let go of her, it was Hera's turn to touch her, a hand on each shoulder. She looked sincerely into Sabine's eyes...before her, she could see just how far the girl had come as a person. From a rather arrogant and angsty girl to...a capable young leader. Over the years, the transformation had been happening before her very eyes, but it never became so clear than right now.

Hera was so proud of what Sabine was now.

She liked to consider herself a model to the kids in her crew, and that she needed remain inspirational to them...but it was becoming more and more evident that they weren't kids anymore.

"In my moment of weakness, you and Ezra have remained strong and pushed me forward." Hera continued. "You have no idea how proud I am, at how far you've both come."

Sabine smiled and her eyes trailed away briefly, a little flattered. Her own mother was never quite as supportive as Hera.

"All thanks to you, Hera."

"Not just to me." Hera elborated. "And not just to Kanan. But to yourselves, too."

Hera chuckled again, though much more sincerely. It was always good to see her smile, especially now.

"I see so much of myself and Kanan in you both, now."

Hera knew a development when she saw it. She and Kanan had it...and now Ezra and Sabine do. Hera may have lost Kanan...but there was a chance for them.

Sabine however blinked. She didn't know what Hera meant by this...though the words stuck with her. But now that Hera had mentioned Ezra...Sabine really needed to talk to him. So much has been happening, there's barely been a moment to just sit down and...talk.

"Take my advice, Sabine." Hera said, the grip on her shoulders tightening a bit. "Never forget what you have...always hold on tight, for however long you can."

She never knew when things could suddenly change, as they did for Hera...

Sabine could only silently nod again. Hera gave another pleased look, then let go of her. She had her time to grieve Kanan...she had to look forward now, and see this mission on Lothal to the end. Sabine, and the rest of her family at her side.

"It's going to be a long ride." Hera sighed, turning around and looking out to the plains again. "Thankfully I have you, Chopp."

When Hera patted the head of her droid who was taking the wheel, Sabine smiled at Chopper's purring...despite all that was thrown out them, there was still some good in the world.

 _"That's how we win."_ She told herself. _"By going on, and on. No matter how hard it gets."_

When she saw Hera was at peace, she turned around to head inside the driller where the bunk was.

* * *

Sabine stepped down and saw Ezra sitting with Zeb. It looked like the two boys were having a quite talk, especially with Zeb placing his big arm around Ezra's shoulders and looking down at him. It really was some of that...brotherly love. Right now, love was sorely needed in this crew.

 _"I remember when they were just annoying each other to no end."_

She remembered the formula. Ezra would often interrupt Zeb to the point of driving him mental...often catalysed by Chopper, of course. Disturbing his sleep, ruining his waffle break...regardless, chaos would ensue. Zeb would typically catch Ezra, and Chopper. But every time he did, there wasn't much he could do. He was a big strong Lasat, after all.

And Sabine would usually get to witness that drama play out.

 _"Hehe...gosh, how long ago that was..."_

Part of her...kinda wished they could go back to those days. But now, things were different. Everything was different. As easy as it would be to think so...not everything was all bad.

"Hey...you guys alright?" She asked softly, approaching them.

"Hey Sabine, we were just talking." Zeb said, looking at her and removing his arm from Ezra. "Come to check on us?"

"That's...why I'm here." She tilted her head, gave a weak smile.

Zeb stood up, and began making his way out. Before he did, her firmly held her shoulder. They looked at each other, and exchanged a nod, an understanding. Then Zeb was out, and Sabine was alone with Ezra.

She slowly went to sit down. All that could be heard was the shuffling and creaking of the bed as Sabine sat down besides Ezra. She leaned forward to see his face. Ezra was hunched forward, his chin resting on his hands. He looked to be in deep contemplation and thought...felt like Ezra was doing a lot of that, lately.

But soon, he did speak up.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He said, limiting his chin from his hands.

When you go through what Ezra had just went through, there would definitely be a lot on your mind. Mostly on the subject of "What the kriff just happened?".

"Thinking about anything in particular?" She asked quietly, smiling.

"What aren't we thinking about?"

Ezra sighed, and rubbed his temple. Part of him was glad this would be a long journey...he needed the time to just recover from this madness. Another world had become revealed to him, and he needed time to process all this.

"We've been doing a lot of thinking..." Sabine agreed. "But not enough talking. How are you, Ezra? You kinda scared me earlier."

"Kinda?" He smiled, looking at her as she placed her hand on his forehead.

"I had faith." She smiled back. "You have a knack for getting out of trouble as much as you can get neck-deep in it."

She removed her hand from his head, trailing it slightly down his scarred cheek before letting go. He seemed okay to that relief. Though, with recent events...him just simply being alive would've been a relief on its own.

"Well...I'm glad you're okay too." Ezra said, patting her hand with his own...the touching growing more intimate.

Sabine felt his hand touching hers...she liked it. What she had with Ezra...what the rest didn't know about them, at least not yet...and Kanan would never get to know.

But this time, more than ever, wasn't the time for holding back.

 _"...always hold on tight."_ She remembered Hera's words.

Sabine's hand moved, and took Ezra's hand so that her fingers were in-between his. She squeezed...then he squeezed back. Their hands were joined tightly. They sat silently together for a quite a period, needing little more than their own company.

But the silence was soon broken.

"So what was it like?" She asked quietly, intrigued. "On the other side of that portal?"

Ezra shook his head slightly, almost in disbelief.

"I don't think I could even explain it..."

Sabine glanced at him.

"Try me."

Ezra took another deep breath. He wanted to try and avoid telling others of what he saw simply because it was so unbelievable...but he knew Sabine would tolerate his gibberish.

"It was...crazy." He began his account. "Unlike anything The Force has ever showed me before. Sabine, I saw...everything."

Everything that ever was, and ever will be. Only three people in this whole galaxy could say that...

"Sounds like a pretty wicked religion, The Force..." She said humorously yet sensibly. "How do I sign up?"

Ezra gave another warm smile, and squeezed again. But his smile faded, the more he thought about what he saw. Not even the fact he saw Ahsoka again, just what he could've done...the choice he had to make.

"I could've saved him, you know..." He muttered with pain in his voice.

Sabine immediately knew who he was referring to.

"Ezra...there wasn't anything you could've do-"

"No, not then." He interrupted. "When I was behind the portal...I had the power...the choice...I could've made things different."

Sabine blinked. She didn't fully understand what Ezra was talking about...but she believed him.

"So...why didn't you?" She asked.

Ezra closed his eyes, his head lowered.

"Because then I'd have lost you."

And the others, but something compelled him to word it the way he did.

Sabine definitely had to...process this. But still, she had no reason to doubt Ezra. She believed every word.

"We haven't really talked about it...have we?" Sabine asked, supposedly. "Kanan..."

Sabine didn't want to gape this already bleeding wound...but the two hadn't even discussed it. Now was as good a time as any of they were going to be stuck in this driller for who knows long. Sabine's eyes trailed to the ground, while Ezra closed his and took a long breath.

Sabine may have known Kanan for longer, but his relationship with Ezra was pretty much of father and son. Sabine knew that, at least, she had a loving father on Mandalore. Ezra had no one for so much of his life...then came Kanan.

And now, like his real father, he's gone. Ezra had lost two.

"He saved us." Ezra reminded her softly. "He gave us this chance."

And he wasn't strictly talking about the mission on Lothal.

"There's no more that needs to be said." Ezra said decisively.

Kanan lived on through The Force, through Ezra...through his family. Ezra wanted to leave it at that...so Sabine would too.

As Ezra contemplated on Kanan for a while longer, Sabine was just staring at him. She...was partly in disbelief that this was the exact same boy she met on Lothal so many years ago. He was so understanding and...wise, in a way.

 _"And mature."_

She smiled to herself a bit.

 _"Mostly"._

Sabine scooted a little closer into him, making her whispers easier to hear.

"You really are Kanan's student, Ezra." She told him. "He'd be proud of you. You've grown a lot."

Ezra certainly hoped he would be.

"No less than he would be of you, Sabine."

Ezra sat up again, and he found himself pretty close to Sabine. As in, their shoulders were almost touching. They both just stared at one another. So much could be exchanged just with simple eye contact.

"Besides...I'm not the only one who's grown up." Ezra chuckled, reaching out with his spare hand to touch her other arm. "Thank you, for being there for me."

His face was quite close. Close enough, so that at the same time Ezra let go of her arm and turned away, Sabine had actually closed her eyes and prepared her lips. When what she anticipated didn't come, she opened her eyes and felt a bit embarrassed.

But Ezra too noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that she was ready for an intimate moment. They both just sat, a little bit surprised and awkward. Ezra felt Sabine's hand loosen, and he let go. She rubbed her fingers, starting to look rather blushed.

"Good talk then?" She whispered.

Ezra didn't acknowledge her for a moment, but then quickly nodded.

"Alright...come outside soon." She suggested. "Get some sun on that face."

They exchanged smiles, and Sabine stood up to go upstairs. But in a snap decision, Ezra stood up with her.

"Wait, Sabine."

Sabine turned her head, and Ezra was suddenly placing his hands firmly on her shoulders and turning her body. Her eyes were filled with the sight of his blue pupils, and his big nose. That's because their faces were close together..and their lips touching.

"Mm!" Brief surprise was expressed.

That melted away very quickly, though. Soon, her eyes were closed and her hands were on his sides.

 _"Oh."_ She could only think. _"Nice..."_

Their kiss involved a slight tilting of their heads, but soon they parted. Barely. Their lips were still very close. Their eyes barely opened.

"I'll be up soon." He promised, caressing the right side of her face with one long stroke of his finger.

They exchanged a few more delicate and short pecks, before Ezra patted her shoulders and turned her around again, then nudged her forward. Sabine walked out, her face plastered with a drunken love. Ezra stood alone, but he didn't even move. He was just standing right where he was when he kissed her, thinking to himself.

 _"Hera's love gave Kanan strength."_ He told himself. _"It was his greatest weapon when he needed it most...to save us all."_

Ezra knew that Sabine's love would offer him the same.


End file.
